Editor's award - BMW Efficient Dynamics

Amid the hullabaloo over headline-grabbing future technologies, it's easy to overlook the giant emission-saving strides that have already been made by BMW.

Efficient Dynamics is the name of BMW's game. Its goals are simple: to improve carbon dioxide emissions, increase mpg and reduce weight, while still delivering the driving experience BMW buyers demand.

These goals are achieved by making small savings across the whole car. It's not as sexy as talk of hybrids, but the outcome is as effective as anything else that's available now, and in some cases more so.

Then there's Auto Start-Stop, which automatically switches the engine off while you are stationary in traffic to save fuel, then switches it back on again when you engage gear.

Other manufacturers may have some of these technologies, but only BMW has managed to combine them all. The company now has 28 models that achieve over 48mpg while emitting 140g/km or less of CO2, which covers around 40% of its range.

In some cases the effect has been dramatic: the 320d Touring now has a CO2 rating of 131g/km - 17% lower than last year's model.

Longer-term, BMW admits that it will have to take a different approach. It has invested heavily in developing hydrogen-powered combustion engines and is looking into electric hybrids.

For now, though, Efficient Dynamics is set to be expanded. It might not be rocket science, but it is effective.

'ED' in actionBMW's 318d with Efficient Dynamics uses less fuel and pumps out less CO2 compared with its nearest class rivals.